Steinmetz High, the Pride of the Northwest Side
Steinmetz High School, The school boasted not one cool old gym, but two others I hadn’t known about prior to my visit.
More than a few schools have two gyms, but Steinmetz actually boasts three, in a row now less. Each of which has its own coolness factor.
Steinmetz, like many of Chicago’s public high schools has been seeing a resurgence in their academics and community investment. They are one of the few Chicago high schools, public or private, to have their own on campus football field. Which has been renovated with real-turf, new bleachers and a track. But of course I was there to look at the basketball courts, which have also had a recent facelift. Luckily for fans of old unique gyms Steinmetz didn’t rip out any walls or even their old wood bleachers for that matter, and the old L-shaped spectators balcony still gives a very different view than you get at most basketball games.
Steinmetz does have an open space along the sidelines of the court that could accommodate temporary seating. Additionally, just down the hall way are the other two gyms which all run along the same side of the building.
A middle gyms is the smallest and still holds onto its original look. Climbing ropes and wooded wall rungs line the walls.
A third gym has also undergone a recent renovation of its floor and is currently where the girls basketball teams practice, but could just as easily be an auxiliary gym for a JV game or second varsity game. A big shout out to the people at the scorer’s table who let me know about these two side gyms that weren’t on my radar for this visit.
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